Five-Year Approach to Managing Drug Inventories through ABC-VEN Analysis in the Pharmacy Unit of a Specialized Public Hospital in Vietnam

In developing countries, healthcare expenditures have increased disproportionately compared to the financial resources provided by the government. Challenges related to inventory management and pharmaceutical market regulation have also been identified. To address these issues, we performed an ABC-VEN classification of the medicines stocked at Can Tho Dermatological Hospital (CTDH) between 2016 and 2020, aiming to provide evidence-based insights to help policymakers improve the efficiency of the drug supply system. The findings indicated that Category I drugs, which accounted for the highest cost and importance, represented approximately 88% of the hospital’s annual expenditure. In contrast, Category II and III drugs contributed around 5–10% and less than 5% of total costs, respectively. With limited financial resources, it is essential to ensure the judicious use of Essential medicines. The integrated ABC-VEN matrix enabled the identification of drugs where substantial cost reductions could be achieved, demonstrating its effectiveness as a strategic tool for procurement and inventory control decisions.